I asked Scott about the wieght of the rims and if there was a differance, he said they weigh the same.

As far as why they went with the SSX rims I got the impression from our
conversation, but not in these exact words from Scott that they were less costly to manaufacture. Therefore these got the nod, which makes perfect sence due to the fact they are trying to keep the costs down on this car so that the consumer can have the ZL1 come in at a base price to be competitive.

Now the big question will be how much more will the polished wheels cost
as an option. The SSX wheels were my original choice of the two rims,
however after seeing them, I am now leaning towards the polished wheels.
The reason for my change of heart is that the SSX wheels just have a
plastic look to them and with all the plastic that the modern cars currently
have on them already, I kinda like the polished look more. I guese just call
me old school when it comes to the rims.

wow, this is good news! I was on the fence with this one personally. I do like the look of the black wheels but wouldn't have got them if they weighted more. I think black and red go good together but black and black! now where talking! I still like the look of the polished ones though! especially that ZL1 logo on them....hint...hint..

Since I assumed the SSX wheels would be the optional, lighter weight wheel, I wonder if the assumption that it's a lighter wheel is true.

Do you guys still think the SSX style wheel will be lighter? Both are forged I believe. Are the guys who will be now paying extra for the machined/polished wheel only doing so due to preference of style and finish, not performance?

I know on the ZR1 these wheels will be an option(along with the Michelin Sport Cups),and GM said they weigh five pounds less than the standard wheel in that application.

I know five pounds doesn't sound like much. But remember it's unsprung weight,where every lb is equal to 6-9 lbs on the car.

Whatever wheel comes on the ZL1, it won't please everyone. The good news is that they would be very easy to sell. Then I come into play, to supply you with some lightweight forged wheels, which probably will cost less than the GM cast aluminum wheels.

Of the two designs, I prefer the SSX showcar wheels more. I can't see them only being black though, that would turn off too many buyers. At least offer them like the Corvette does, in a few different powdercoat finishes. Black, gray, silver.

Whatever wheel comes on the ZL1, it won't please everyone. The good news is that they would be very easy to sell. Then I come into play, to supply you with some lightweight forged wheels, which probably will cost less than the GM cast aluminum wheels.

Of the two designs, I prefer the SSX showcar wheels more. I can't see them only being black though, that would turn off too many buyers. At least offer them like the Corvette does, in a few different powdercoat finishes. Black, gray, silver.

Tony

I'm pretty sure both ZL1 wheels are forged. I know the silver wheels the debuted in Chicago are forged for sure as they mentioned that. So these aren't your typical factory wheels.

Regardless, I'm sure there will be many that choose to go aftermarket, it's just not going to be easy to find a 20" wheel that beats the factory wheel when it comes to weight/performance.

I'm pretty sure both ZL1 wheels are forged. I know the silver wheels the debuted in Chicago are forged for sure as they mentioned that. So these aren't your typical factory wheels.

Regardless, I'm sure there will be many that choose to go aftermarket, it's just not going to be easy to find a 20" wheel that beats the factory wheel when it comes to weight/performance.

Be careful about the term "forged". It gets tossed around a lot. These OEM wheels are likely cast aluminum centers with a "rotary forged" outer hoop. This is what is found on most "forged" OEM wheels. In the aftermarket industry, we call them flow-formed or rotary forged. Using the term "forged" in the aftermarket means the wheel was CNC machined out of a solid chunk of forged billet aluminum. There is a big difference in quality and price between rotary forged and CNC forged. Here is a post I made to help define the differences: